Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Adding coastal style using paint & accessories (cheap accesories)

Good Morning! I've been working on what I've nicknamed "The Jungle Condo" for a friend, trying to add some coastal cottage charm on a VERY limited budget ($200). My big plan to do this was to declutter, then lighten & brighten the place using paint, but to also bring in some nice coastal accessories. There was not ONE single coastal element in this condo. In fact, it was the complete opposite, loaded with fake green plants. And they were EVERYWHERE. I still see them in my dreams. And then Tarzan rescues me and tells me I'm his Jane. If you missed the first part of this project, the nailhead burlap bar stools, you should check it out. All of these elements bring the place together.

Here's what I had to work with. The side tables (2) were black, each with a black lamp. They were accessorized (each) with a set of cork coasters, fake green plants and some strange glass objects from Marshalls.

Not very inviting.... just cold and masculine. Seems very dated.

One of the numerous fake plant accents

And the other black side table with black lamp. The green plants on top of the TV armoire are staring at me.

I removed the current accessories and added some of my own. I found a few old paperback books in the condo, so I ripped off the covers and sides, and some extra pages so that only text shows. I simply tied 3 books together with jute (free project). I also added a starfish ($4) and a lovely mushroom coral ($6). I put a piece of driftwood that I found on the beach on the bottom shelf and wrapped the black lamp in jute ($5). I will post the tutorial on this later :)

Side table with coastal accessories. Now that's better :)

Adding coastal charm. And there's a sneak peak of the NEW old black lamp.

Although the coastal accents improved the table dramatically, I still needed more. It needed to be lighter. Enter my new BFF, Annie Sloan. In "Old White".

After a couple coats of chalk paint, some distressing & waxing, I was ready to call it a day. With this part of the project anyway. And again, I was incredibly pleased with the results.

And the BIG reveal!

I put the driftwood on the lower shelf of the other side table and
replaced it with an awesome Sea Fan from a small shell shop in Panama
City Beach. This GORGEOUS sea fan was only $6! I am going to go back and buy quite a few more to frame and use as wall art, and to attach to glass bottles using wax, creating AWESOME accessories! And just in case you forgot, here's the complete side table next to one that I STILL have to paint :-/

Before (kind of) & After

Hopefully I've been able to share some inspiration. The total cost of accessories in this project was:

starfish: $4

Sea Fan: $6

Jute for lamp: $5

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint: $37 (which I used for 2 side tables, 2 square block coffee tables & 4 bar stools. So, the real cost of the amount of paint used in this project was more like $7)

Total Cost per table: $22*

**Remember, this estimate does not include time spent on the project, or all of the blood, sweat & tears. HOWEVER, being in a gulf front condo in the beautiful Florida Panhandle, & being able to walk out on the balcony and enjoy the view DOES make it a little bit easier ;-)

2 comments:

Wow! What a difference some paint and a few accessories can make! A complete transformation!!

I've been hearing a lot about Chalk Paint...I need to go check that out. I am not sure the difference between chalk paint and regular paint to be totally honest with you! Definitely need to research that!

Well, I'm lazy & I don't like to prime & sand. So this paint is a great alternative! Also, it is very easy to work with your finishes to get a professional look. You definitely need to try it! It's a little pricey, but it goes a long way. Thanks for checking out my project!